December 02, 2014

Metal Heart by Meredith Shayne (review)

Title: Metal Heart
Author: Meredith Shayne
Release date: January 27, 2013
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: LGBT, Contemporary
Buy on: Amazon | Dreamspinner
Goodreads

Scott King swore off rock stardom after his band, King Phoenix, crashed and burned. Now in his forties, Scott lives a quiet life as a music producer and session guitarist. But in a box hidden in his wardrobe lie the relics of the past he left behind—a past filled with drugs, booze, and broken hearts. For sixteen years, Scott has had no contact with his former bandmates, so when he’s asked to play at a benefit gig for King Phoenix’s old sound man, his world turns upside down. A King Phoenix reunion means a run-in with Scott’s ex, Ash Walker—and sixteen years ago, believing Ash wanted to leave the band, Scott OD’d and almost died.

Since then, Scott has ruthlessly suppressed his feelings. As a result, he's completely unprepared for the impact of seeing Ash again, or for dealing with his emotions about the band’s demise. He definitely didn’t expect Ash to want to start up where they left off. Now Scott has to decide between his safe existence and the twenty-year-old love song that could cost him his sobriety—and his heart.

November 02, 2014

Whitewater by Meredith Shayne (review)

Title: Whitewater
Author: Meredith Shayne
Release date: March 12, 2013
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: LGBT, Contemporary
Buy on: Amazon | Dreamspinner
Goodreads

Baker Luke Henderson loves his job, and owning a bakery at Coogee Beach makes it even better. When he opens the shop before dawn, he hears the waves. When he walks along the beach after sunrise, he admires the surfers—one in particular: Cameron Brown. A chef and cafĂ© owner, Cameron secretly watches Luke right back. When Luke proposes a business deal, Cameron seizes the chance to get close. But Cameron’s ideal man is physically perfect, and Luke’s awkward limp could be the flaw that fractures their romance.

October 27, 2014

And a month and a half passed...

Hi everyone,

I want to apologize for not posting anything the past month and a half. Things have been crazy hectic and every time I felt like I had time to rest a bit I didn't feel like reading at all. The hectic is almost over, however, and I hope I can post a review the upcoming week.

Thanks for being patient with me!

x Rochella

September 11, 2014

The Maze Runner by James Dashner (review)

Title: The Maze Runner
Author: James Dashner
Release date: August 6, 2009
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Genre: YA, Dystopia, Mystery
Buy on: Amazon | Book Depository | B&N
Goodreads

If you ain’t scared, you ain’t human.

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.

Nice to meet ya, shank. Welcome to the Glade.

Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive.

Everything is going to change.

Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.

Remember. Survive. Run.

August 31, 2014

If I Told You So by Timothy Woodward (review)

Title: If I Told You So
Author: Timothy Woodward
Release date: August 28, 2012
Publisher: Kensington
Genre: YA, LGBT
Buy on: Amazon | Book Depository | B&N
Goodreads

The summer you turn sixteen is supposed to be unforgettable. It's the stuff of John Hughes movies and classic songs, of heart-stopping kisses and sudden revelations. But life isn't always like the movies. . . For Sean Jackson, sixteen is off to an inauspicious start. His options: take a landscaping job in Georgia with his father, or stay in his small New Hampshire hometown, where the only place hiring is the local ice cream shop. Donning a pink t-shirt to scoop sundaes for tourists and seniors promises to be a colder, stickier version of hell. Still, he opts to stay home.

On his first day at work, Sean meets Becky, a wickedly funny New York transplant. The store manager, Jay, is eighteen, effortlessly cool, and according to Becky, "likes" Sean the way Sean's starting to like him. But before he can clear a path to the world that's waiting, Sean will have to deal with his overprotective mother, his sweet, popular girlfriend, Lisa, his absentee father, and all his own uncertainties and budding confusions.

Tender and achingly funny, this coming-of-age story will resonate with anyone who is--or has ever been--a teenager, when the only thing you can count on is how little you really know, and the next glance, or touch, or breathless night can be the one that changes everything...

August 21, 2014

Glitterland by Alexis Hall (review)

Title: Glitterland
Author: Alexis Hall
Release date: August 24, 2013
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Genre: LGBT, Romance
Buy on: Amazon | Book Depository | B&N
Goodreads


The universe is a glitterball I hold in the palm of my hand.

Once the golden boy of the English literary scene, now a clinically depressed writer of pulp crime fiction, Ash Winters has given up on love, hope, happiness, and—most of all—himself. He lives his life between the cycles of his illness, haunted by the ghosts of other people’s expectations.

Then a chance encounter at a stag party throws him into the arms of Essex boy Darian Taylor, an aspiring model who lives in a world of hair gel, fake tans, and fashion shows. By his own admission, Darian isn’t the crispest lettuce in the fridge, but he cooks a mean cottage pie and makes Ash laugh, reminding him of what it’s like to step beyond the boundaries of anxiety.

But Ash has been living in his own shadow for so long that he can’t see past the glitter to the light. Can a man who doesn’t trust himself ever trust in happiness? And how can a man who doesn’t believe in happiness ever fight for his own?

August 11, 2014

Fan Art by Sarah Tregay (review)

Title: Fan Art
Author: Sarah Tregay
Release date: June 17, 2014
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Genre: YA, LGBT
Buy on: Amazon | Book Depository | B&N
Goodreads

When the picture tells the story…

Senior year is almost over, and Jamie Peterson has a big problem. Not college—that’s all set. Not prom—he’ll find a date somehow. No, it’s the worst problem of all: he’s fallen for his best friend.

As much as Jamie tries to keep it under wraps, everyone seems to know where his affections lie, and the giggling girls in art class are determined to help Jamie get together with Mason. But Jamie isn’t sure if that’s what he wants—because as much as Jamie would like to come clean to Mason, what if the truth ruins everything? What if there are no more road trips, taco dinners, or movie nights? Does he dare risk a childhood friendship for romance?

This book is about what happens when a picture reveals what we can’t say, when art is truer than life, and how falling in love is easy, except when it’s not. Fan Art explores the joys and pains of friendship, of pressing boundaries, and how facing our worst fears can sometimes lead us to what we want most.

August 05, 2014

Take A Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg (review)

Title: Take A Bow
Author: Elizabeth Eulberg
Release date: April 1, 2012
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks
Genre: YA, Music
Buy on: Amazon | Book Depository | B&N
Goodreads


Chasing fame. Chasing love. Chasing a future.

Emme has long lived in her best friend Sophie's shadow. She writes songs, and Sophie sings them. It's always been like this, and feels like it always will be.

Sophie will stop at nothing to be a star. Even if it means using her best friend and picking up a trophy boyfriend, Carter.

Carter is a victim of a particular Hollywood curse: He's a former child star. Now all he wants is a normal life. But being normal is about as hard for him as being famous.

Ethan has his own issues -- a darkness in his head that he just can't shake. He's managed to sabotage every relationship he's ever been in. Emme's the only girl he's ever really respected . . . but he's not sure what to do about that.

August 02, 2014

When We Wake by Karen Healey (review)

Title: When We Wake
Author: Karen Healey
Release date: January 1, 2013
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Mystery
Buy on: Amazon | Book Depository | B&N
Goodreads

Sixteen-year-old Tegan is just like every other girl living in 2027—she's happiest when playing the guitar, she's falling in love for the first time, and she's joining her friends to protest the wrongs of the world: environmental collapse, social discrimination, and political injustice.

But on what should have been the best day of Tegan's life, she dies—and wakes up a hundred years later, locked in a government facility with no idea what happened.

The future isn't all she had hoped it would be, and when appalling secrets come to light, Tegan must make a choice: Does she keep her head down and survive, or fight for a better world?

July 08, 2014

Update on my life a.k.a. lack in reviews (I'm going to move!)

Hi everyone!

I just want to explain why it is taking a while for my next review to get posted. I've made some drastic decisions the past week(s) and I'm now preparing for my next step!

I have officially dropped out (well, I got kicked out, but I sort of dropped out before I got kicked out) of university. My mental problems were holding me back and it is better to focus on me before I start university again, though I might not go back to uni at all. I also quit my part time job. And that has to do with my next step!

In two weeks (exactly two weeks, I am terrified yet super excited) I will be moving to Australia for an indefinite period (which means from three months up to a year). Since I now live in the Netherlands it is a huge step, but I can honestly tell I have never been this happy in my 19 years of life. And that means a lot, since I've been battling mental illnesses for a long time now.

All these changes take time though and I'm busy preparing my move, completing my last step in getting a visa, look for jobs and voluntary work and all kinds of other things. Thus I don't have a lot of time to read and write reviews! However, once I'm settled in Australia (which will be about July 26) I have pretty much all the time in the world to read!

x Rochella

July 01, 2014

Freedom to Read Giveaway Hop: Freedom to Be! (INT)


I think the Freedom to be able to read is something very important and I would like to
combine this topic with a topic I care about a lot: the Freedom to Be.

For this giveaway I will give a book from the Book Depository for a maximum of 7 euro that has something to do with LGBT. It doesn't have to me a the main point of the book, it can be just a minor character who is part of LGBT, as long as it is in the book somewhere! Don't know what to get? Here are some of my favorite LGBT books and books I want to read badly.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6017769-the-vast-fields-of-ordinaryhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17341639-undonehttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12875258-tell-the-wolves-i-m-home
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9757264-with-or-without-youhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11595276-the-miseducation-of-cameron-posthttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9319389-empress-of-the-world



June 29, 2014

Get Well Soon by Julie Halpern (review)

Title: Get Well Soon (Anna Bloom #1)
Author: Rachel Eliason
Release date: October 2, 2007
Publisher: Square Fish
Genre: YA, Mental Illness, Humor
Buy on: Amazon | Book Depository | B&N
Goodreads

I got a better look at some of my fellow patients in this freak hole, and they all look pretty close to my age. They come up to the check-in desk to get pills. After they take them, the desk people look in their mouths to make sure they’ve swallowed. It’s like something out of The Twilight Zone. Are they going to do that to me?

Anna Bloom is depressed—so depressed that her parents have committed her to a mental hospital with a bunch of other messed-up teens. Here, she meets a roommate with a secret (and a plastic baby), a doctor who focuses way too much on her weight, and a cute, shy boy who just might like her. But wait! Being trapped in a loony bin isn’t supposed to be about making friends, losing weight, and having a crush, is it?

June 26, 2014

The End of You and Me by Wendi M. Lee (review)

Title: The End of You and Me
Author: Wendi M. Lee
Release date: April 17, 2014
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Buy on: Amazon
Goodreads

Sixteen-year old Kate can't live without London. Their friendship is intense to the point of obsession. Nothing else matters: not dating, college applications, or her military father’s disapproval. When beautiful red-haired Anastasia sweeps into town and becomes fast friends with the pair, life changes forever. Suddenly Kate's quiet world is threatened.

What makes an honor-student like Kate snap? Is it a redhead armed with seduction and lies? And how far will either of them go to get what they want?

June 22, 2014

Seeing the Fault In Our Stars



Today I went to the first screening of the Fault In Our Stars in the Netherlands and let me tell you: it was a real experience. I had no idea what to really expect since I evaded everything about the movie. But it was so true to the book and so wonderful and so terrible and I have never cried so much because of a movie and I also have never heard people cry so much because of a movie.

pretty much me throughout the movie
 
Now I want to go watch it again... and again... and again.


June 21, 2014

The Best Boy Ever Made by Rachel Eliason (review)

Title: The Best Boy Ever Made
Author: Rachel Eliason
Release date: February 14, 2014
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: LGBT, YA, Romance
Buy on: Amazon
Goodreads

Alecia Mueller, a conservative country girl, knows how her life is going to turn out. She is going to grow up, meet “the one,” get married and live in the country. When her best friends Sam comes out as a Female to Male Transgender, she chooses personal loyalty and friendship over politics. But what if the boy that Sam is becoming is “the one?”

Stacking The Shelves #1

Stacking The Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual.

Yesterday I went to my favorite book fair and I set myself a budget and a book limit and it was actually the first time I could resist buying more (but that's only because I'm leaving to Australia for three months soon and there's only so much I can bring along). Here are all the books I bought (and added to that books I need to buy because a couple of books I bought are parts of series). (also, looking at the price tags I think you can guess why I love this book fair so much)

June 18, 2014

Wishlist Wednesday #1: In a Heartbeat


Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added (it's entirely up to you), that we can't wait to get off the wishlist and onto our wonderful shelves. The meme is hosted by Pen to Paper.

Title: In a Heartbeat
Author: Loretta Ellsworth
Release date: February 2, 2010
Publisher: Walker & Company
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Buy On: Amazon | Book Depository | B&N
Goodreads 

When a small mistake costs sixteen-year-old Eagan her life during a figure-skating competition, she leaves many things unreconciled, including her troubled relationship with her mother. From her vantage point in the afterlife, Eagan reflects back on her memories, and what she could have done differently, through her still-beating heart.

When fourteen-year-old Amelia learns she will be getting a heart transplant, her fear and guilt battle with her joy at this new chance at life. And afterwards when she starts to feel different—dreaming about figure skating, craving grape candy—her need to learn about her donor leads her to discover and explore Eagan’s life, meeting her grieving loved ones and trying to bring the closure they all need to move on.
I put this book on my wishlist recently, but whenever I find a book that is very interesting or seems like a good read, I see if it has a paperback version. If it has, I need to decide: download the ebook, or buy the paperback. This is one of the books where I would rather have the paperback than a ebook edition. I simply love the feel of a paperback novel and I would love to read all my books like that, but sadly that is not possible.

This story seems really cool and I think it is also a way to make transplant of organs something discussable (my teacher views have impacted my way at looking at literature). I am really curious to see how this novel deals with such a heavy subject.

June 14, 2014

I am soo mad (gender roles)

I work in a supermarket and today a little boy and his grandma were doing groceries. The grandmother let the son pick out a small book to take home. The little boy ran to the checkout with Dora Princess Adventures to which the grandmother replied: 'You are not a girl'. She refused to pay for the book because of she believes only girls can read that. The boy were very sad, because he didn't get the book he truly wanted.

I hate narrow minded people who think a Dora Princess book is only for girls! And the way she said it to the boy: "You're supposed to be a man, not a sissy." Ugh. If the boy wants to read about princesses, let him read about princesses!

June 13, 2014

The Hollywood Version by Harry K. Malone (review)

Title: The Hollywood Version
Author: Harry K. Malone
Release date: May 9, 2013
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: LGBT, Romance, Contemporary
Buy on: Amazon
Goodreads

Mark Lawler has always imagined the world as a movie. With his overactive imagination, he can’t help equating life and art. Currently, he’s living the dream: successful actor, beautiful wife, and he works with his best friend, television heartthrob Zach Pericles. The problem is a certain contingent of fans are convinced Mark and Zach are really in love.

When a compromising photo of them leaks to the press, Mark’s life spins out of control. The show’s executive producer plans to kill off Mark’s character, and Mark faces unemployment and life as a single man. He turns to Ross Lockhart, an old acquaintance, to help him pick up the pieces.

Ross has to be the most frustrating man Mark’s ever known, but he’s levelheaded and wise for his years, and Mark envies the honest life he leads. Maybe Ross can teach Mark a thing or two about finding his own happily ever after.

June 02, 2014

The Reflections of Queen Snow White by David Meredith (review)

WARNING: EXPLICIT SCENES, NOT FOR CHILDREN
I received a copy from the author in exchange of an honest review 

Title: The Reflections of Queen Snow White
Author: David Meredith
Release date: October 2, 2013
Publisher: self-published
Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tales
Buy on: Amazonhttp://www.amazon.com/The-Reflections-Queen-Snow-White-ebook/dp/B00FLF4JAG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401720243&sr=8-1&keywords=queen+snow+white+david
Goodreads 


What happens when "happily ever after" has come and gone?

On the eve of her only daughter, Princess Raven's wedding, an aging Snow White finds it impossible to share in the joyous spirit of the occasion. The ceremony itself promises to be the most glamorous social event of the decade. Snow White’s castle has been meticulously scrubbed, polished and opulently decorated for the celebration. It is already nearly bursting with jubilant guests and merry well-wishers. Prince Edel, Raven's fiancĂ©, is a fine man from a neighboring kingdom and Snow White's own domain is prosperous and at peace. Things could not be better, in fact, except for one thing:

The king is dead.

The queen has been in a moribund state of hopeless depression for over a year with no end in sight. It is only when, in a fit of bitter despair, she seeks solitude in the vastness of her own sprawling castle and climbs a long disused and forgotten tower stair that she comes face to face with herself in the very same magic mirror used by her stepmother of old.

It promises her respite in its shimmering depths, but can Snow White trust a device that was so precious to a woman who sought to cause her such irreparable harm? Can she confront the demons of her own difficult past to discover a better future for herself and her family? And finally, can she release her soul-crushing grief and suffocating loneliness to once again discover what "happily ever after" really means?

Only time will tell as she wrestles with her past and is forced to confront The Reflections of Queen Snow White.

May 28, 2014

Waiting On Wednesday #3: Schizo: A novel


"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Title: Schizo: A novel
Author:  Nic Sheff
Release date: September 30, 2014
Publisher: Philomel
Genre: YA, Mental Illness
Goodreads

Miles is the ultimate unreliable narrator—a teen recovering from a schizophrenic breakdown who believes he is getting better ... when in reality he is growing worse.

Driven to the point of obsession to find his missing younger brother, Teddy, and wrapped up in a romance that may or may not be the real thing, Miles is forever chasing shadows. As Miles feels his world closing around him, he struggles to keep it open, but what you think you know about his world is actually a blur of gray, and the sharp focus of reality proves startling.

Just One Year by Gayle Forman (review)

Title: Just OneYear
Author: Gayle Forman
Release date: October 10, 2013
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Genre: YA, Romance
Buy on: Amazonhttp://www.amazon.com/Just-One-Year-Gayle-Forman-ebook/dp/B00DVW8RBS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401287997&sr=8-1&keywords=just+one+year | Book Depository | B&N
Goodreads

 
When he opens his eyes, Willem doesn’t know where in the world he is—Prague or Dubrovnik or back in Amsterdam. All he knows is that he is once again alone, and that he needs to find a girl named Lulu. They shared one magical day in Paris, and something about that day—that girl—makes Willem wonder if they aren’t fated to be together. He travels all over the world, from Mexico to India, hoping to reconnect with her. But as months go by and Lulu remains elusive, Willem starts to question if the hand of fate is as strong as he’d thought...

May 26, 2014

Just One Day by Gayle Forman (review)

Title: Just One Day
Author: Gayle Forman
Release date: January 8, 2013
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Genre: YA, Romance, Coming of Age
Buy on: Amazon | Book Depository | B&N
Goodreads 

When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.

May 18, 2014

Temporarily removed 'Steal My Sunshine' review

Hi guys!

Just a message to let you know I temporarily removed my review of Steal My Sunshine because part of the review is also a part of my Literature portfolio for university and I didn't want any chance of it being caught as 'plagiarizing'.

That is also part of why I haven't really posted anything lately: university is killing me! I have a lot of portfolios to hand in the upcoming month and I am really not sure if I can fit reading and reviews into my schedule. I do know which review will be the next one posted, namely Just One Day. I am almost halfway done reading it and hope I can finish it soon (and it is wonderful so far)!

x Rochella

April 30, 2014

My Guilty Pleasures

I have the flu for five days now and on top of that I also have sinusitis, thus no concentration to really read and review anything. Since I still want to post something, I thought: why not write about reading guilty pleasures?

1. Fan Fiction

Even though I have so much to read already, I tend to get distracted by fan fiction. Usually, it's quite awful, but there are some really great writers in the fan fiction community. Some writer of who I believe could be amazing published writers. Nowadays I only really read Teen Wolf fan fiction. I am completely in love with Stiles and Derek, because their dynamics is great. I always am amazed what writers can do with these characters, especially in AU (alternate universe) settings. So yeah, I love me some fan fiction.

2. Famous Characters

I regularly get let down by famous characters, but I can never help it: I just love them. (Maybe because one day I would like to run into one of my idols, fall in love and live happily ever after). But one thing I like even more, if one of the main characters actually hates the famous character before meeting. I love me some enemies to lovers fiction (which actually might be a guilty pleasure on its own). An example of one of the 'Famous Characters' books that I actually like is Forever My Girl by Heidi McLaughlin, though it's been a while back and I should really re-read it (and the others in the series).

3. Bad Boys

Ah, who doesn't love a bad boy. A tattooed guy with a scruff and someone you know is bad for you, but you love him anyway... This really is a major guilty pleasure of mine. And I think I can list many books with a bad boy character that I liked. What I especially love is when you have a guy that has a bad boy exterior, but is just this geeky guy on the inside. Those are actually the best. I also think that the bad boy tend to go hand in hand with the famous characters. Well, at least for me that is. But in all honesty: give me a bad boy and I am happy.


4. Guys With Kids

Who doesn't love sweet and caring guy? You know which guys usually are the sweetest and most caring? Guys with kids! (okay, no always true, but most of the time, yes). I just has something that I love. Especially the bad boys (there I go again, always mixing the guilty pleasures) who then turn out to be great and loving dads. Oh, my heart already hurts just thinking about it. I really want to read something now, even though my head can't take it!

What are your guilty pleasures? Do you have similar ones or do you have completely different guilty pleasures? Please let me know!

April 24, 2014

LGBT Month: Letting Go by Jeanette Grey (review)



WARNING: EXPLICIT SEX SCENES BETWEEN TWO MALES
Title: Letting Go
Author: Jeanette Grey
Release date: June 1, 2011
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press LLC
Genre: LGBT / M/M romance, Short stories (68 pages)
Buy On: Amazon | Dreamspinner Press
Goodreads 
Between taking care of his dying father and putting himself through college, David Mackenzie is approaching his breaking point. A twenty-year-old virgin, he doesn’t have the time or energy to date or socialize. When his father agrees to try medicinal marijuana as a treatment option, David meets an attractive, outgoing young man named Zev, who becomes the friend David never realized he needed. David’s father is nearing the end of his life, and Zev is becoming far more than a shoulder to lean on — he might be David’s first opportunity to embrace life and let go.

April 21, 2014

Cover reveal & giveaway: He + She by Michelle Warren





HE is trying to piece together his broken life.

SHE is running away from her wedding day.

TOGETHER, their world is a beautiful lie.

APART, their world is a perfect mess.

He + She is a free-spirited romance about soul-awakening second chances, heartbreak, and hopeful beginnings.




April 16, 2014

I'm in tears! (If I Stay trailer)


One of my favorite all time books is If I Stay. I told lots of my friends to read it (of which a couple did and loved it as much as I did).

I just watched the trailer and I am in tears. I can't wait till August to see it. And from what I've seen so far I think Adam is cast very well. Mia isn't what I imagined her to be though, so I'll have to wait to see the end product to get a final opinion on her.

AHHHHHHH! I'm so happy and excited!

LGBT Month: The Next Competitor by K.P. Kincaid (review)



Title: The Next Competitor
Author: K.P. Kincaid
Release date: January 13, 2010
Publisher: Prizm
Genre: YA romance, LGBT, Sports
Buy On: Amazon | Book Depository | B&N | Prizm
Goodreads
It's the all-important Olympic season and eighteen-year-old American figure skater Alex Grady is discovering that there are many obstacles along the way on his quest to win a gold medal. For starters, he has to get through endless hours of practice under the watchful eye of his stern and slightly terrifying Russian coach. Then he has to contend with his all-American rival, Tanner Nielsen. Tanner has the talent, looks, poise and picture-perfect girlfriend that make him the ideal poster boy for United States figure skating.

Alex has the talent and his looks aren't bad, but the filter between his brain and his mouth is missing, and he definitely doesn't have a girlfriend. He doesn't have a boyfriend either, although he finds himself thinking far too much about pairs skater Matt Savelli, which is ridiculous, since goody two-shoes Matt is totally not his type. Besides, Alex doesn't have time to worry about dating, not with the Olympics looming, right? Can he find a way to go for the gold and still remain true to himself?

April 13, 2014

Being Hartley by Allison Rushby (ARC review)

Title: Being Hartley
Author: Allison Rushby
Release date: November 1, 2013
Publisher: Patchwork Press
Genre: YA contemporary, Romance
Buy on: Amazon |
Goodreads

Fifteen-year-old Thea Wallis was born to entertain. Her mother, Oscar winning actress Cassie Hartley, thinks differently and has kept her daughter out of the spotlight since day one. Coming from showbiz royalty, it hasn't been easy to go unnoticed, but mismatched surnames, a family home in Tasmania and a low-key scriptwriter father has made this possible.

Just like her cousin Rory on the hugely popular TV show Saturday Morning Dance, Thea loves to dance. She learns the show's routines off by heart each week, despite her mother's attempts to convince her that dentistry would be a far more fulfilling career choice.

However, when Rory goes off the rails in LA, Thea's mother is suddenly left with no choice at all – Rory needs them and to LA they must go. Within forty-eight hours, Thea finds herself a long way from Tasmania and living her dream – on the road to Las Vegas with the Saturday Morning Dance team.

It doesn't take long before Thea's talents are discovered and she's offered everything she's ever wanted on a plate, including the dance partner she's had a crush on forever. But, as her mother has always told her, Hollywood dreams come at a price. Thea soon realizes she will have to work out just how much she's willing to pay. And, ultimately, discover her own way to be Hartley.

April 09, 2014

Thank you, Elise Himes! (The Trans-Fer Student)

I won a giveaway and got send the ebook version of The Trans-Fer Student by Elise Himes. However, she also send me a signed paperback version which I think is great considering I live in the Netherlands. I'm really happy with it and can't wait to read it!


Title: The Trans-Fer Student
Author: Elise Himes
Release date: January 1, 2014
Genre: YA contemporary, LGBT
Buy On: Amazon 
Rachael is just like any other girl… except she was born a boy.

When her family is forced to move due to bullying, she is accepted into a privileged girls’ school. Her fantasy quickly becomes a nightmare as rumors spread about one of the new students being transgender. Paranoia, deceit, and backstabbing rule the day as their “witch” will be found, no matter who suffers.
 Part of LGBT April

April 04, 2014

Alice in Tumblr-Land by Tim Manley (review)

16+ DUE TO LANGUAGE
Title: Alice in Tumblr-Land
Author: Tim Manley
Release date: November 5, 2013
Publisher: Penguin Books
Genre: Humor, Fairy Tales, Graphic Novel
Buy on: Amazon | Book Depository | B&N
Goodreads


Disney meets Lena Dunham in this illustrated humor book featuring your favorite fairy-tale characters dating and finding their way in 21st-century America.

The Ugly Duckling still feels gross compared to everyone else, but now she’s got Instagram, and there’s this one filter that makes her look awesome. Cinderella swaps her glass slippers for Crocs. The Tortoise and the Hare Facebook stalk each other. Goldilocks goes gluten free. And Peter Pan finally has to grow up and get a job, or at least start paying rent.

Here are more than one hundred fairy tales, illustrated and re-imagined for today. Instead of fairy godmothers, there’s Siri. And rather than big bad wolves, there are creepy dudes on OkCupid. In our brave new world of social networking, YouTube, and texting, fairy tales can once again lead us to “happily ever after”—and have us laughing all the way.

April 02, 2014

LGBT Month: Marionette by T.B. Markinson (ARC review)



WARNING: DUE TO SUBJECT MATTER SUCH AS SUICIDE IT CAN BE A HEAVY READ
Title: Marionette
Author: T.B. Markinson
Release date: November 7, 2013
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: YA contemporary, LGBT
Buy on: Amazon
Goodreads

Paige Alexander is seventeen and has her whole life in front of her. One day her girlfriend comes home to discover that Paige has slit her wrists. Paige isn't insane, but she acts like she is. Why?

After the incident, Paige agrees to go to therapy to appease her girlfriend, Jess. However, Paige doesn't believe that therapy will help her. She believes she’s beyond help. Paige doesn't want to find herself and she doesn't want to relive her painful past in order to come to terms with it. What Paige wants is control over her life, which she hasn't had since her birth.

During her childhood, Paige is blamed for a family tragedy, when in fact, her twin sister, Abbie was responsible. Abbie doesn't come forward and Paige becomes the pariah of the family.

To add to Paige’s woes, while attending a college in a small town in Colorado, the residents are in the midst of debating whether or not gays and lesbians should have equal rights. Tension is high and there’s a threat of violence. She isn't out of the closet and pretends to be straight at school since she fears what will happen if her parents find out she’s a lesbian. Will she end up dead like her best friend, Alex?

 

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